Knight of Evil
by Gigglepud
Summary: He is her king, and she is his knight. The people call him evil, but she loves him. If it is for his sake, then she'll be his Knight of Evil. Their lives are entwined in a story of good and evil, unrequited love and irrevocable devotion – can the scarlet haired knight melt the ice around her majesty's heart before he ruins the kingdom for good?
1. Zero

**A/N:** This is an AU inspired by the story 'Daughter of Evil' by the Kagamine Twins. As you read along, you're welcome to try guess which character is the Fairy Tail counterpart of the Daughter of Evil characters.

**Note: It doesn't matter whether you know the series "Daughter of Evil" or not. It makes as much as a difference as a feather on a weight scale. If it did matter, then this would have been in the crossover section.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't know anything no matter how much I wish so TT_TT  
Fairy Tail (c) Hiro Mashima  
Daughter of Evil Series (c) Akuno-P

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**Prologue**

_A man of blue stood behind the guillotine._  
_His face was grim and his eyes were averted from the hopeful crowd._  
_Shouts came from the people, as the executor prepared to strike._  
_"Death to the king! Death to the Son of Evil!"_

_A cloaked figure stood aloof from the rest_  
_He bit his lip as the crowd rejoiced_  
_A tear streaked down his face as he watched the blade swing down_  
_A head rolled, and the cloaked figure wept._

Levi McGarden was proud to know friends who lead the uprising against the Son of Evil; friends who had defeated the tyrant who ruled her country, the Kingdom of Heaven. But whenever she asked them for the details, their answer would be a shake of their head.

If Levi approached Lucy Heartfilia, the reply she would receive was, "I'm sorry, Levi-chan, but I don't know much about it myself."

When Levi asked Mirajane Strauss, she would have to make do with, "Um, It's not that I won't tell you, but I don't know the truth myself."

Natsu Dragoneel also wouldn't give Levi an answer, saying "Ah, I remember that rebellion! I'd say we were victorious, but for some reason, Lucy said something about the hidden truth behind the truths…"

What started of as simple curiosity stemmed into a quest where Levi would travel all over the Fiore continent for; the true story she uncovered after years of research, investigation and hard work.

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**A/N:** Since this is a prologue, yes, it's super super short. But I promise, the chapters will be longer. As I mentioned before, you're very welcome to guess which character is which daughter of evil character. E.g. Erza = Len.


	2. One

**A/N:** lol, I get the feeling I scared of a lot of potential readers because of the short chapters. Anyway, from this chapter onwards, this fic becomes a collab one done by me and my friend 'JH'. We don't divide the work, but instead simply work together for everything.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything... not even the plot idea TT-TT

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**One**

"Princess Ultear will be arriving in the next hour. What do you mean when you say her room's not ready?"

Erza cringed as she watched King Jellal glare at the trembling maid, whom was mumbling apologies and bowing deeply.

"I-I-" the maid stuttered.

"Perhaps you gave them too short notice, my king."

Jellal flickered his glare towards Erza with an aura that could kill. "Shut up."

Erza bit her lip, and took a step back, bowing her head in submission.

"Never mind," Jellal sighed. "Go find the head maid Milliana and get her to complete the task."

"But Milord, what you ask is near impossible even for head maid Milliana!" the maid whimpered.

"If you can't even do a simple fetching task, then perhaps it's time for you head to roll," sneered Jellal, rising from his throne and storming down the steps towards the centre of the hall, facing the maid.

Erza began to protest, "With all due respect, your highness-"

"I said shut up." Jellal snapped. Erza remained stoic like usual as she watched her king raise his hand against the servant, but she was there in a split second, her fingers grasped tightly around his wrist. There was not even a second of hesitation in stopping her superior.

"Servants are not tools," she warned quietly.

"Touch me again, and you'll be in for treason, " Jellal retorted darkly as he pushed his knight away before marching out of the throne hall. "And remember to call for Milliana, you useless maid."

Erza remained silent as she hurried after her king, giving an apologetic smile as she passed the maid. It wasn't until way into the depths of the inner corridors of the palace that she slowed down. She sighed as she faced the back of Jellal; he was a cruel king, much less caring than all those who preceded him. He seemed to care only for himself, leaving the people of the kingdom to fend for themselves. There were not a person in the Kingdom of Heaven who supported the way Jellal ruled, but yet Jellal never cared.

"Milord, you create a gap of hate between yourself and those inferior to you - this won't lead to good," she suggested softly. "Try and soften up with some patience and help deal with the troubles of the kingdom."

"Are you correcting the way I rule!?" demanded Jellal. "Do you truly believe your opinion matters? Servants are made to serve, it's not my duty to care for their opinion. If they cannot even complete simple task, then what use are they?! Go back and leave me alone, you're not needed right now."

"Yes, your Majesty," Erza said with a bow before adding a soft murmured, "you've changed."

"And I wonder what gives you the right to judge me. Do not forget your position - you're but a knight, I will not have you speaking out of turn again, understand?!" Jellal barked in reply to the words that were originally meant only for her ears.

"Yes," was Erza's quiet reply, before scurrying away as she let her long scarlet bangs drape over her teary eyes. _Damn it, Jellal, what happened to the you I knew?_

Jellal pushed open the door to his quarters before pausing for a moment as Erza's footsteps faded away. He felt a pang in his chest, something he didn't understand- Was it guilt? Until now, he had not once seen his Knight shed tears. She was supposed to be strong and composed, wasn't she? His personal knight had led his army through numerous battles in the past year.

He felt the need to go to her and apologize. But…why should he care? It was not like he had feelings for his knight. He admitted she was something to look at, especially that fierce scarlet hair of hers, but she was just some commoner girl from some bakery. The only reason she stood out to Jellal was her fighting skills - nothing more.

With a shrug, he pushed Erza out of his thoughts to focus his attention on Princess Ultear, his fiancé from the neighbouring Kingdom of Time, who was due to come for a visit in a day's time. Within seconds, he had already forgotten the red haired knight that was currently crying her eyes out in her chambers.

Erza Scarlet was believed to be on of the strongest knights in the kingdom, maybe even the continent, but she herself didn't feel that way; at least, not when tears were streaming down her face. She was a common born orphan with no father or mother, but she had found a comfortable home in the Strauss bakery, where she would help out the shop for her stay.

She had enjoyed a simple, but happy lifestyle with the Strauss siblings who ran the bakery, but that all changed when she left to join the Royal Guards of the Kingdom of Heaven. When asked for her reason for joining the hard life of a soldier, she would only give the vague reply that it was for a friend. As a child soldier, she impressed everyone with her strong fighting skills and abilities, her strategies and tactics, her sense of justice and responsibilities. With her magic power of Armour Equip as a bonus, she rose the ranks quickly enough in the period of 5 years, and reached the rank of a Captain at only age twenty.

But then that year, the king passed away, and his successor returned from six years of training - Jellal. Within only a few months, Erza caught the eye of Jellal during a training tournament, and since then, she has served him as a private knight. In just six years, she had leapt further than any average soldier will in thirty years, but no one was proud of Erza's achievements anymore; not when she served the cruel king now known to the people as the Son of Evil.

But Erza didn't support the views of the people. That was because she knew more about Jellal than anyone else, because he was her childhood friend; and her beloved.

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**A/N:** That's the end of the first chapter :) Hope you liked it ^^

And if there's anything about the setting, storyline or characters you don't understand, please tell me so I can try and explain it in the next chapter.

Also, the game still continues, so try and work out who is the fairy tail equivalent to Riliane(Rin), Allen(Len), Michaela(Miku), Germaine(Meiko), Kyle(Kaito) and all the other characters ^^


	3. Two

**Two**

Since a few years ago, the Kingdom of Time and the Kingdom of Heaven had been on bad terms, and the meetings between representatives had always lead to arguments. The queen of Time knew that all too well, which was why she had suggested marrying one of her daughters off to the new king of Heaven.

She had not intended for her eldest daughter, Ultear, to volunteer, but Ultear had claimed she met the king before during his training years. Ultear had apparently not realised his status, and simply hung out with him for the enjoyment and fun of it.

With many more meetings and discussions, the councils finally came to an agreement, and Ultear had finally headed out to the Kingdom of Heaven as his fiancé to get to know him and his kingdom better before their marriage.

"Welcome to my palace, dear princess," Jellal greeted as Ultear entered the throne hall.

"Thank you for letting me stay, your majesty," Ultear curtseyed.

"Well, it's great to see you again," Jellal replied mannerly.

"Yes, I feel the same way," was her reply.

Ultear's attention was caught be the king's knight's twitching, but she soon ignored it as she faced her fiancé and smiled.

She had only just arrived, but something told her she was going to feel right at home as Jellal came forward to lead her to her seat next to his. She let out a giggle as she watched Jellal send out all his subjects so he could be alone with her. The knight seemed to want to protest, but an intense glare from the king sent him scurrying off.

"You really know how to control your servants," Ultear marvelled. "My mother has a hell of a problem with that."

"A strict reign and a few examples can easily do the trick," Jellal replied with a grin.

"Eh, but won't that create unrest amongst the servants and lower class?"

"It's not a problem to fret over," Jellal insisted, his eyes merciless.

Ultear let out another giggle, "If you say so~"

The next half of an hour saw the two casually chatting about anything and everything; the old times and the new. Their conversation could have lasted much longer had they not been interrupted as the door opened to let in a maid.

Unlike the other maids and footmen Ultear has seen, this one showed no fear as she approached the king. On the contrary, her back was straight with dignity, her cat-like eyes sparkling with energy, and her grin showing mischief - it was almost as if she was his equal.

She looked to be a young woman of similar age to Jellal, her light brown hair styled shoulder length and her clothes colourful despite being a maid. She wore a blue wristband with the Kingdom of Heaven insignia on her left arm; the garment which meant she was servant who knew and practiced magic.

Reaching the centre of the room, she bowed low as a servant should to the ruling monarchs. Ultear breathed a sigh of relief, as she had half believed that the maid would walk straight up to Jellal and talk straight away, as her attitude had suggested.

Ultear expected the maid to speak, but her companion spoke first. "Milliana, are the preparations set?"

Without rising from her bow, the maid -Milliana -looked up at her overlord. "My deepest apologies, my lord, but the preparations cannot be completed any time soon."

Ultear curiously turned to look at her fiancé. Only half an hour ago had he mentioned something about a strict reign; is this girl going to become an 'example'? Much to her surprise, Jellal only gave an impatient sigh.

"I see… so it's something not even something you can accomplish…" Jellal muttered coolly in a way Ultear did not know how to react, as he signalled for his maid to stand.

"Is everything alright, my king?" Ultear questioned politely, confusion spread all over her pale face.

"Your rooms are unfortunately not ready yet," replied Jellal. "I had originally planned for you to stay in a room with a balcony overlooking the view of the Fairy Forest that forms the border between the Kingdom of Heaven and Ice. It's a beautiful sight, in my opinion."

"I'm truly sorry, my lord, my lady," Milliana repeated, finally. "The construction is only at its earliest stage."

"I feel so honoured for you to think of preparing something as grand as that for my stay that will only be a week along. Though I must say, I think I might be able to help complete the room."

Both the king and Milliana turned towards the princess.

"Surely you are aware that the ancient royalties of the Kingdom of Time had the ability to manipulate time? The king of Time, in other words, my adoptive father, gave me scrolls regarding the magic and I eventually learnt it."

"I thought that magic didn't exist anymore," gaped Milliana admiringly.

Ultear shot a look at the maid, unsure whether it was right that Milliana was speaking out of turn. Nevertheless, she replied, "It's a type of lost magic. I'm likely the only living person who can use it."

"That's amazing!" Jellal praised with sparkling eyes. "Well, then perhaps your room can be constructed in time after all; Milliana, lead the way, please?"

"Yes, my lord, my lady."

Letting Milliana lead the way, Ultear made sure the maid was out of hearing range before questioning Jellal.

"That woman treats you like an equal…" she began.

"Yes, but I'm allowing her to do that. She is the head maid in the palace-"

"She's only in her early twenties!" Ultear protested.

"As are you and I," retorted the king. "I met her sometime after I left the Kingdom of Time, and I helped her develop her magic. She came with me, and we went through a lot together. She is my biggest ally within the servants - I won't have her upset because she has to treat me like a king even though we used to eat from the same dish."

"…" Ultear was not sure she approved of another girl so close to her fiancé, but she paid no mind to it. After all, if Milliana became the mistress, all Ultear needed to do was make an 'example' of her.

"So… you never mentioned what type of magic you have," Ultear piped. "Since you studied under Zeref, that means you must be overpowered or something, right?"

"A teacher's skills does not automatically define the strength of the student," Jellal replied coolly. "But yes, I do take pride in my power and magic."

"… So… what type of magic do you have?"

"Heavenly body magic," Jellal replied without care. "You see, you're not the only royalty who has magic related to their country."

That got another giggle out of Ultear, as she clung onto her fiancé's arm and leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked.

"We have arrived," Ultear jumped from Milliana's sudden dialogue.

"Oh okay. Well, then let's see what I can do," she said, regaining her composure.

She looked inside the unfinished room - piles of wood lay on the floor, there were a few posts held together by magical orange ropes of some kind. The whole room was dusty from the construction, and where the balcony should be was simply a hole in the wall. The walls were a plain yellowish-white dirty colour, and the ceiling only had the wooden posts. She wondered how long they've been working at this - a month?

"Well…" she wasn't sure what she should say in regards the room. "Now I see what you mean by the construction being at it's 'earliest stage'."

"So can you do something about it?" Jellal asked.

"More or less, I guess," Ultear grinned. "Stand back, everyone."

Ultear made sure Jellal and Milliana did as they were told, and then thrust an arm forward to touch a wall of the room. She used her free hand to take out her magic orb for extra power, and closed her eyes to concentrate. In her mind, she pictured the room in the future should it be completed - the walls would be painted a clean white, the construction team would finish building the roof and the balcony with the piles of wood. The wood posts would be pinned down carefully, and the weird orange magic ropes would not be necessary. The balcony and the floor of the room would be layered by smooth white tiles, and a bed, a wardrobe, a dressing table and a round table with chairs around it would be put in the room.

Beads of sweat had trickled down her face when she opened her eyes, she was tired, but the results were satisfying. The room came out to be just as she pictured. Wiping her forehead with her sleeves, she turned to look at her two companions. Jellal and Milliana's faces were very obviously shocked, though Jellal seemed to have tried his best to hide it.

"That was so awesome! How did you do that?"

Ultear looked around. It wasn't Milliana or Jellal who spoke, so who could it have been? That was when she realised her magic had attracted guards and servants to come and look. She wasn't sure if she liked her image to be the princess who did commoner work, but she was glad she could show off her power and not be viewed as the weak girl who might very well become a damsel in distress.

Not worrying about that, she looked at all the faces, and came to the conclusion the speaker was the young girl with white hair in the crowd, since the majority of the crowd consisted of men and women of late twenties to early forties. The age difference between her and the other servants no longer bothered Ultear after meeting Milliana, but what this other girl was not like a maid at all.

Her casual blue jeans and top were worn out, and her white hair was styled short. She brought a pink bag from the popular Fairy Brand - not something affordable from a servant's salary.

Ultear watched distastefully as the white haired girl curtseyed to her king before skipping away.

"Who was that one?" Ultear asked after the guards and servants were sent back to resume their tasks.

Jellal sighed exasperatedly, "That annoying girl from the bakery shop is a friend of my personal knight. Don't worry about her though, she's just some scum."

"Scum's a bit harsh, don't you think?" Ultear's eyed her fiancé.

"It's fine, she's a commoner, so scum fits perfectly," Jellal retorted.

Ultear raised her eyebrows, "Whatever you say, Majesty."

"Unimportant things aside, I'll get the footmen to put your luggage here," said Jellal. "You'll come with me to the dining room for lunch, right?"

"Of course," Ultear grinned, taking her fiancé's offered arm as she followed him towards the dining hall.

That was all a week ago. Now, Ultear sat, proof reading the letter in front of her as she put down her pen.

_Dear Mother,_

_As much as I hate to disappoint you, there are some things I must discuss with you regarding my engagement with King Jellal of Heaven. Having stayed a week with him, I have realised that perhaps he is not the most suitable man for me to spend the rest of my life with; there are many beliefs and opinions where he and I share different viewpoints in._

_At first glance, he seems to be a strict king with firm control of his underlings, but those connotation doesn't describe him at all - he's much worse than that. He is cruel and merciless without a care for his underlings and when he first told me he controls his servants by having a few 'examples', but those few turned out to be 10 in just the 7 days that I've stayed here - and he seems to enjoy watching the executions!_

_He only worries about himself and his happiness, he doesn't care what pains the others have to go through to go through out with his wishes. And as for those who don't complete his goals - it's usually off with his head. He also over works his servants - he only gave them two days notice to build a whole room for me, something that should take at least 2 months to perfect!_

_He seems to consider commoners scum, showing constant dislike for the bakery girl who comes by to visit every few days to give fresh bread. He has seriously changed from the boy I knew from 5 years ago, and I do not think that I'll be able to live peacefully with him. I understand that it is out of line, but I do request to cancel my engagement with Jellal._

_I do wish to have been able to tell you this in person, but I don't know when that time might be, as I have decided to take a detour to the kingdom of Ice. I have come to know a man who claims to have studied ice magic under you when he was a child, in other words - when my father must have been still alive. I'd like to get to know you more, but you seem to be buried in your letter work these days, that's why I'll get to know you through your disciples and students, and find out through them how I can help you make your life easier._

_Love you, mother._

_Yours Truly,  
__Royal Heir to the Time throne,  
P__rincess Ultear of the Kingdom of Time._

With a satisfied smile, she left her seat and set off to find a messenger.

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**A/N:** Well, I don't think I'm ever going to write in Ultear's perspective again. Or least not until I've decided whether she's on the good side or the bad side. I'm pretty sure I've just won the crappiest ending to a chapter award, but I didn't know how to end if it off D': Plus, writing in Ultear's perspective prevents Jerza from happening :(

Anyway, thanks to all those who have reviewed, followed or favourited my story so far; your encouragement really boosts my ideas and motivation. I really hope I can write well enough up to your expectations, but when I don't write well enough I'll be very thankful if you guys can just bare with me.

Thanks for reading! And if you've liked it, feel free to review.

PS. The game is still on (since only Trepidation Dance attempted this). Review or Message me to guess which fairy tail character in this story is the vocaloid counterpart from Daughter of Evil!


	4. Three

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own Fairy Tail or its characters. Fairy Tail (c) Hiro Mashima._

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**Three**

Spotting the familiar white haired figure coming down the path, Natsu couldn't help but grin with excitement.

"Lisanna!" He yelled and waved. "Welcome back!"

Lisanna blushed a little as she reached where Natsu was.

"Do you have the time to laze about, aren't you on duty today?"

"Yeah, I'm still watching your shop, I'm just not behind the counter, that's all," Natsu pouted. "I was waiting for you out here, and look, out here in the footpath outside your shop gives me an even better view of everywhere in the shop,. Plus there's no customers at all."

"None?" Lisanna's face fell. "I can't believe the economy is so bad no one can afford our prices - I really don't want to lower it anymore, it's already much too underpriced."

"Then don't lower it. We've got the best bread in town, they wouldn't let us close down," Natsu encouraged, as he walked back into the Strauss with Lisanna.

When Natsu was little, he was found by a Dragon, who taught and raised him like a father. But then one day, the dragon up and disappeared, leaving Natsu alone by himself. It was then when Lisanna had found him and brought him back to her home. In exchange for the kindness of Lisanna and her family, Natsu introduced Lisanna to a large wheat & flour farm with great quality flour.

The relationship Natsu had with Lisanna and her family could only improve after this, and Natsu moved in with the Strauss Family at the bakery, sleeping in the spare bedroom. He was the second guest to live in that room, the first being Erza Scarlet.

It wasn't until a few months after he settled in that he got to meet the former resident, but she sure made an impression. She had portrayed herself as strict and harsh, sane and sensible with determination set in her warm eyes. It hadn't taken long for Natsu to break down her cold barrier and get to know her kind, loving side, which she showed only to a small amount of people. Natsu was proud to be one of the select few.

But soon after, Erza stopped visiting the bakery regularly, only coming by once in a blue moon. Natsu saw her fewer and fewer times, and it was then when he found out she was a soldier from the castle. The distance and duration of them apart eventually weakened the relationship, until it became a habit for him and Lisanna to visit Erza at the palace.

Natsu remembered those days as his happy childhood, when he had nothing to worry about, and he spent his days at the palace, running around with two of the people closest to him. But then, the King at that time died, and the throne was passed onto his younger son - Jellal. Soon after, Erza had been promoted to his personal knight, but nothing was the same anymore.

Jellal had ruled his kingdom without a heart, and Erza's smile grew less and less. When Natsu once voiced his concerns about Erza to her king, he had not only brushed Natsu's word aside, but banned him from the palace for annoying him. Outraged, Natsu had protested with cries and shouts, which almost resorted in his beheading had Erza not talked the King away from such thoughts.

After that, Natsu never went near the palace again. Naturally, it wasn't him obediently following the king's words, but simply because he was so angry at the king that he never wanted to see him again. Lisanna, who wasn't there at the time of Natsu's outburst, kept the practice of going to the palace, and Natsu would often pass letters and messages through Lisanna to Erza.

And today was no different. Lisanna had visited Erza yesterday, and ended up sleeping over for the night due to staying late. Natsu personally made sure he would be up in time to welcome his best friend back, and even volunteered to be on duty to watch the baker that day.

"So, how was Erza?" Natsu asked, settling down behind the counter.

"Better," was Lisanna's reply. "I think it's because that Princess finally left the other day."

"You mean the one who you said was able to perform some kind of 'lost magic'?" Natsu asked.

Lisanna nodded. "She was so down those few days that the princess was here. She had looked so crestfallen and … lonely."

"That's weird. She never ever looked that way even after she moved away," Natsu frowned.

Lisanna grinned mischievously. "If you ask me, I bet she met some really cute guy at the Palace, and fell madly in love with him. When the princess came, I bet she played with every single guy's heart, and she became heartbroken when her crush focused all his attention on the princess," she suggested with a melodramatic tone.

"Hm…" Natsu frowned again. "Erza… fall in love?" He questioned dubiously.

"It's no fun talking about this when you're so dense," Lisanna pouted, without realising that what she said was so very close to the truth.

xxxxx

Erza sat on her bed, using her break time as a mean to relax and rest from a tiring day of standing behind her king as she listened to different ministers approach him about problems or developments of the country. She couldn't help but let out a small grin as she reflected the recent days.

It had been two weeks since Princess Ultear had left the Land of Heaven, and King Jellal had completely stopped talking about her. It made Erza wonder if her king really loved the princess, and if maybe she had a chance in his heart after all. As if in reply to her wondering, Jellal had even started to ask for her opinion for a solution to some of the major problems.

She had only just took off her helmet and untied her hair when the door was knocked five times. She sighed, recognising the pattern to be Jellal's unique code for her. She rushed up to the door, ran her fingers through her hair, and let the door open.

"Your Majesty," she greeted with a bow.

With a nod, he entered the room and took a seat.

"What might be the matter, Majesty?" Erza enquired politely. She was sure she wasn't late to duty, as it should still be her break time. And it was rare that the majesty would come to her himself, not send a servant to find her.

"Sit," Jellal commanded, waiting until Erza did so before he continued. "I haven't yet discussed it with the council, but I'd like you to become one of my advisors."

Speechless from the surprise, Erza remained silent with widened eyes.

Jellal leaned closer to her, as if sharing a secret. "It's always you, isn't it? From the past, when the country was in crisis, you were the one who privately suggested an idea to me. And these days, all the plans and solutions originate from your idea. It would seriously save me a lot of work if you were to share your ideas without needing permission to speak at every turn. And I definitely won't need to think as much. I really can't care much about the country, so I guess I'll leave it up to you."

Jellal's last comment was awful and Erza could tell his whole suggestion was just to make his selfish reign easier, but she couldn't help but blush. He acknowledged her, and sought her help. He needed her.

After a long moment of silence, she finally agreed. "Alright."

She grinned as she watched the face of her king light up. "Thank you so much, Erza! Naturally, I still want you by my side, so you're still my bodyguard even though you're my advisor, okay?"

Erza's cheeks were red as she nodded, delighted that Jellal would want her to be by his side.

"Eh? Are you blushing?" Jellal leaned forward with a smirk to check.

"Ah…!" Erza started backwards in surprise.

"… My apologies, I don't know what got into me," Jellal said quietly as he stood up and raced out the door.

"But_ I_ know what got into you," Erza mumbled quietly once the King was out of hearing. "This is what you're supposed to be like; fun and teasing, yet kind. Just like when we were children… just like when I first fell for you."

The giant palace bell chimed twice, indicating Erza's break to be over. For once, she did not leave the room with a sigh, but with newfound confidence and determination. Even with Jellal's decreasing popularity, she still had hope. Though it took quite a while, Jellal had warmed to her, so what was stopping him from becoming much nicer to the whole kingdom?

Erza truly believed, at that time, if she continued supporting him, she could revert him back to the kind and caring person that she loved.

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**A/N: **I have a solid backstory for Erza and Jellal's childhood, but the question is how and when to insert it into the plot. Oh well, I'll figure it out somehow ^_^

And **a message to J.H:** You're school email inbox is full... you might want to go clean it out if you can be bothered. xD


	5. Four

**A/N:**_ I'm sorry I took so long. I might actually take this long from now on, because of other stuff D: But I think I should be able to go back to my usual plan of 100 words a day once school starts in a week or so. Anyway, this chapter was a pain in the ass for me, since there were so much information and background info I wanted to convey, but I just couldn't find the right opportunity to write them down in T_T But I hope I still did alright :/_

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**Four**

It was her first time watching the shop by herself, but she wasn't inexperienced. For many weeks now, she had gotten up early to help Mirajane open the shop and watched Mirajane as she served the customers with fascination. At times when the shop was busy, Mirajane had even let Erza help handle the money.

Though for today, there were very few customers, almost as if fate had decided Erza could have an easy first day. But although there were few buyers, the day wasn't simple or relaxing, as half way through her shift, a dozen or so big and brawny men barged into the shop.

She watched stoically as the soldiers walked past each of the isles, their cold eyes not missing a single detail. They all wore the uniform which bore the Royal Insignia and Kingdom of Heaven coat of arms, and their silent, yet stern expressions showed they were there for something other than bread.

"How may I help you?" Erza asked, not showing her awe or nervousness in her voice and expression. She couldn't help but feel the pressure as all the eyes in the room turned towards her.

Erza was no expert in analysing strangers, but even a baby would realise these men were soldiers who have lived through a few hard battles. Compared to them, Erza knew she was powerless and if anything were to happen, she would be the one in trouble.

After all, she was but a eight year old orphan with no particular strength, and the only magic she could use was a little take-over magic to impersonate someone else, and even non-mages could find flaws in her transformation. It sure was no use in this case. She could only hope the soldiers didn't come for trouble.

"We're looking for a boy your age. Blue hair. Peculiar red marking on the right side of his face." The soldier said. "Witnesses claims he went in here."

"…"

"You better not be hiding him." The soldier's raised tone forced Erza a step back.

"I think I saw that boy, but I paid no attention to him," Erza said quietly. "He came in, but when he caught my eye, he ran out again."

Without another word, the men all left the bakery and disappeared elsewhere to search for this boy. Once they were out of sight, Erza let out a sigh of relief.

"It's okay now, they're gone."

To anyone else , it may seem like Erza was telling that to herself to calm herself down from the strange event. But when she took a step away from the counter, the cupboard underneath it opened to reveal the very boy the soldiers had been looking for.

"…"

They remained silent as they stared at each other whilst hiding behind the counter from view, unsure of what to say.

"I'm Jellal Fernandez," the boy said with a shy grin, "I guess my last name is a little bit of a mouthful."

Erza giggled, "I'm Erza… just Erza."

"Don't you have a last name?!" Jellal asked, surprised.

"No, I'm an orphan, you see," Erza smiled, seemingly unaffected by the cruel facts. "But more to the point, why were they looking for you?"

"…"

"Did you steal something?"

He shook his head.

"Played a prank?" Erza tried again.

Once again, there was a shake.

"… Run away from home?" Erza took another jab.

The boy glanced away, then met Erza's eyes before he gave a reluctant nod.

"So much fuss for a runaway, though," Erza frowned, "are you an important figure?"

"..N-no.. I'm just a maid's child…" He admitted.

"I see you're not going to tell me more," sighed the girl, "That's okay, I guess, as long as you swear you didn't do anything bad."

"I didn't, the soldiers are just over reacting," Jellal replied, a grin slowly showing on his face.

"If you say so," Erza accepted his words. "Well, how about I ask Mirajane a place for you to stay. Until then, want to come in to our living room?"

"Do you do this often? Inviting strangers to your place?"

"Ah! It's just that you don't feel like a stranger… and you do need my help right?" Erza retorted.

With a nod, Erza grinned and unlocked the door that led to the private section of the bakery building.

...

Erza woke with a start as the wagon stumbled through a few uneven rocks on the path. It took her a moment to adjust to her surroundings, but with a few blinks, she remembered. That's right; she was on a wagon heading towards the Kingdom of Ice.

The driver turned to face Erza with a raised eyebrow, "Are you alright, fair lady?"

She grinned as she shifted her position to get comfortable, "You're going to get yourself nowhere with the compliments, but I do thank you for your concern."

The driver shook his head and turned back to face the road, but not before giving Erza a wink.

Only after she was sure the driver was no longer looking at her, did Erza let out an inaudible sigh. It had already been a week since Jellal introduced her to his council, but not only was his decision met with disapproval, they had even gone to great lengths make sure Erza was aware of their opinion.

Rumours spread throughout the palace; some as wild as assassination attempts on Erza to end her career as Jellal's advisor. Naturally, Jellal would have none of it, but even a fool knew that a King alone would be powerless if all of his council stood against him. Especially a king who, before then, had never opposed their ideas and had let the council's affairs be none of his business.

The council had reason to protest though. Erza was half the age of the youngest member -besides Jellal- in the council, and no matter how smart or intelligent she is, surely it would not make up for the experience and wisdom the others have gained in their years?

And there was also the other reason; the reason the council would never admit. Jellal had never cared for the way the council ran things, but Erza cared. And ever since Jellal realised Erza was paying attention, he too, started looking at some matters. Now that Erza was to join the council, the other members could no longer get away with slacking off or letting a matter end with the council's profit.

The protests grew louder and more noticeable each day, and even Erza had expected this day to come. It was just before dawn when Jellal had personally knocked at her door. A part of Erza had wished it was for private and personal matters, but the wise and strong side of Erza knew it was political reasons that brought Jellal at her door.

When the doors unlocked for Jellal, he came in and said only a handful of words; only the necessary words.

"Pack your bags. You're off to Ice." And with that, he turned and left, leaving the door to slowly close behind him.

Erza had only been half awake, but even then, she understood what he meant. It had been only a matter of time before she was sent away until the matter was solved. She was glad for the break, but it was such a shame there was no warning. She would have liked to inform Lisanna that she was to be away, and there was also Erza's friend from before she met the Strauss family who lived in the Kingdom of Ice.

But regrets aside, she hurried and was packed and passed the palace gate in twenty minutes. She watched as a wagon pulled in towards the side of the road, and Jellal jumped off the wagon.

"I never knew you would bother to find a wagon yourself," Erza murmured, too tired to remember she was just a subordinate.

The king kept quiet and did not reply, and Erza turned to see Jellal staring into the distance with bloodshot eyes.

"Your Majesty, you don't look to be too well," Erza dared herself to comment.

Jellal sighed. "Do you really thinking this is as simple as dragging you away on a whim?" he demanded. "There are forms and papers; signings that I spent all night to complete."

"Perhaps it'll do you good to sleep some, before the morning bell," Erza suggested quietly. "You needn't be here, I'll take care of the rest - you just go back to your rooms."

Jellal forced a laugh, "You need me alright - you don't even know what you're doing!"

Erza looked away, "If you give me the papers, I could read them through and find ou-"

"No. Let me take this morning as a chance to relax; I'll ride with you to the city gate, and leave you there," Jellal said.

"But then you'll be alone," Erza protested.

"I'm a trained mage, Erza," the King replied impatiently. "I may lose to you in a sword fight, but my magic is more powerful than you can imagine."

Erza frowned, but said nothing more as she loaded her luggage into the wagon. There were only two suitcases and a backpack, and for Erza, that already seemed like too much. She wanted to travel light, but since she wasn't sure how long her stay was, she decided being prepared was more important.

Erza watched as her king climbed on board, and only after he settled did she climb on. The wagon was small, and she couldn't help but notice how close she was to Jellal. Staring up at his face and into his brown-grey eyes, Erza was barely paying attention to Jellal's briefing for Erza's mission at Ice.

"Mistress, we're almost there."

Erza looked up to see the young driver's bright grinning face again.

"Oh...um...thanks," Erza said quietly.

"Thinking of the King?" The driver teased. "You're quite close with him, aren't you?"

"Not really... it's just we're the same age, so maybe he thinks I can understand him better," Erza said.

"Or maybe he sees something in you," the driver retorted.

Erza looked away, her cheeks blushing red. "We're nothing like that. He's a king, and I'm but a guard... and advisor."

"Whatever, but I think the kingdom could really do well with a queen like you, though. It'd do everyone good."

Erza sighed, "maybe." She knew what the man had subconsciously implied. Here was another who did not like Jellal's rule.

The driver sensed Erza's discomfort, "Well, anyway, take a look outside; you'll see the capital city soon enough."

Erza murmured her thanks and looked curiously out to her right. The forest that had accompanied her throughout her journey ever since she reached the borders of Heaven and Ice was starting to shrink. The trees were more spaced out and fewer in number. In a minute's drive, the trees stopped to show a huge grass clearing. Another five minutes passed, and the first house came in view.

The wagon slowed as people were revealed to be roaming the streets. Erza watched as some people waved to her driver, and some daring men wink at her. Erza grinned, sometimes even waving to the good looking ones.

While Erza had let herself have fun, she made sure she was keeping an eye out for her childhood friend at all times. But there was doubt in her heart. The last time she saw him was over ten years ago, and who knows what he looks like now? And what's to stop him from forgetting about her altogether?

They had lived and slept in the streets together; and they did everything together when they were young, but then he found a family who adopted him and Erza found Mirajane. And after that, Erza never found the time to see him again. But what's to say he may have moved away from this city by now, like Erza had?

She was still desperately searching when the wagon pulled to a stop. Erza paid the driver, and left with her luggage after nodding him goodbye. She sighed as she looked around, trying to find the hotel where she was to stay.

"Hey! It's not funny at all! Stop laughing guys!"

An embarrassed voice suddenly cried out, distracting Erza from her directions. She turned to the source, where a crowd stood laughing at someone in the centre of their attention. She pushed passed the crowd to see what the fuss was about, and relaxed with a smile.

She needn't have worried about finding her friend. Not when his habit was still bringing trouble everywhere. She stepped up to to the half naked man whose jacket and shirt was thrown on the ground beside him, and gave him a cheerful grin.

* * *

_**A/N:**__ It's not hard to guess who that man is, right? Haha, I'm kinda excited since he's my favourite fairy tail character, but at the same time, I'm reluctant for a reason people who have watched the Story of Evil would know T_T _


	6. Five

_**A/N**__: I bet you didn't expect an update so soon, because I sure didn't xD_

_I don't know how I feel about this chapter, because I feel like it was so anticlimatic and flat. But at least I explained a bit about Kingdom of Heaven's background about how such a bad ruler came to the throne._

_**Disclaimer:**__ Fairy Tail (c) Hiro Mashima; Plot (c) Akuno-P_

* * *

**Five**

"Don't go anywhere and wait here, okay Gray-sama?" Gray gave Juvia a small nod, as he watched the blue haired girl jostle through the crowds towards the drinking parlour.

"I could've come with you, ya know," Gray murmured to himself after watching Juvia disappear from view. Unsure of what to do, he sat down on a nearby bench and waited.

That was when a little girl shrieked at him. He turned just in time to see her older brother usher her away from the bench. Gray was surprised to see everyone's gaze either turned to him, or averted from him.

It wasn't hard to work out why once he looked down. Curse it! He had accidentally stripped again. Thankfully, the bottom pieces of his outfit were still where they should be, but it was still embarrassing to be naked out in the open.

Running back to the place where he had dropped his clothes, he found a crowd surrounding him, their laughs audible from towns away.

"Hey hey hey! Shut up guys!" He cried. "Stop looking already!"

"That's right, there's nothing surprising or unusual to it anymore," said a man. Gray looked around, though he wasn't sure, he had a feeling the speaker was a courier for the bank. Newcomers and tourists may think the courier was defending Gray, but Gray and those used to his antics knew the courier was teasing.

"Nice abs," a woman decided to chime in. He recognised her to be the bartender of a popular night bar. Gray concluded that she must have been heading to work, since dusk was soon arriving.

Laughter echoed the town square as Gray blushed crimson red. "Hey! It's not funny at all! Stop laughing guys!"

That was when a young woman pushed through the crowd, curiosity all over her face. She wasn't from this town, but yet, there was something about her that Gray found familiar. It was when she came forward and grinned at him when he remembered, and returned a grin of his own.

"Erza!" Gray cried happily. He attempted to give her a hug, but she pushed him away.

"Are you seriously trying to hug me while being half naked? Put some clothes on!" She protested loudly. The crowd laughed again.

With a long face, he rushed to get his shirt and jacket back on. Only after he zipped up his jacket did his childhood friend embrace him.

"I missed you," Erza said quietly.

"Me too," Gray replied. Then he looked up and saw Juvia, her face crimson with fury. "Erza, get off for a sec," he requested hurriedly.

"Gray-sama! Who is that girl you are with? Juvia thought Gray-sama would be loyal to his girlfriend!" Juvia demanded, attracting the crowd that had finally dispersed only minutes earlier.

Gray sighed, his fingers massaging his forehead as he realised just how troublesome this day had become. "Juvia, don't you remember Erza? She was with me on the streets before I met you."

"... Hmmm... Juvia doesn't remember," Juvia said quietly, peering at the other girl.

"Well, Erza, do you remember Juvia? She and her brother Gajeel were the ones who raised me," Gray said. "Now I've got a secure job and home, and I've started dating Juvia."

"Good for you," Erza replied with all the sincerity in her heart. "I hope you'll be able to live happily ever after."

"That's hardly possible, with Gray-sama having all these other women around him," Juvia complained.

"Juvia! What do you think you're saying out in the public!?" Gray cried, looking around to make sure nobody heard.

"So you're not even denying it now?! First, you spent all your time over that Time Princess, and now you're going to ditching me for her, aren't you?" Juvia did not even attempt to hide her contempt for Erza.

"Juvia-san, we're just childhood friends. And I'd really appreciated if we didn't cause a fuss here. Perhaps we should move somewhere else?" Erza suggested, carefully avoiding the first part of her comment complaint. If the said time princess was who she thought to be, then it'd be better that Gray and that princess' meeting was kept quiet.

"Erza's right," Gray said, his face hard.

It relaxed when Juvia finally gave a reluctant nod. "Alright. And here-" She lifted the bag in her hands, revealing two iced drinks. "Erza can take my share, I'll just get another one."

Afraid to start another fight, Erza didn't protest, but accepted the drink with thanks.

"So, what brings you to Ice?" Gray asked as they headed towards a nearby restaurant.

"Uh... matters. I've become the king's advisor, and I'm supposed to be negotiating some matters with the government here."

"Well, you've sure come far," Gray remarked, "from street orphan to a King's advisor. I bet everyone comes to you for solutions."

Erza forced a smile. If Gray and Juvia didn't know the council's reaction to her promotion, then she wasn't going to be the one to tell them.

"But isn't your king the Son of Evil?" Juvia demanded, referring to Jellal with the nickname the people came up with behind his back.

Erza eyed Juvia sharply, and released a sigh. "He wasn't always like this; he used to be a great person, but then he changed. And he would never have made a great King, surely you've heard why."

Gray stayed silent as Erza smiled wryly, and turned to look at the other girl. Juvia's dark blue eyes were as confused as his. Slowly, he opened his mouth, "There has been rumours. Something about favouritism from years before and a wizard with great and terrible power of ancient times."

As the reach their destination, Gray motioned Erza to wait. It wasn't a very popular eating house, but that doesn't mean there won't be ears around the place. Gray made sure to get a secure, albeit expensive, private room. When the trio settled around the dining table, he let Erza begin her tale.

"Jellal once had an older brother, named Simon. Simon was the true heir, and the late king taught everything he knew to Simon. But during the process, the king had excluded Jellal from many things. It didn't help that Jellal was clumsy and less physically able compared to Simon.

"So, Jellal figured he'd help his brother by strengthening his magic, since magic was Simon's weakest point. But his father didn't care enough to sponsor Jellal, so Jellal ran away with the legendary mage, Zeref. Only after Jellal was gone, did I realise Zeref may not have been all good."

"You speak as if you knew him," Juvia chimed when Erza stopped to take a breath. She blinked when she saw Erza froze, and laughed, "I'm just teasing, of course. Just joking."

Erza eyed the other girl carefully, "It's easier to clarify who is who when I call his majesty by his name. Well, anyway, it was after Jellal had ran away, when Simon was killed. The king was grief stricken and I think it was around that time when he contracted an incurable illness. Orders were sent to look for Jellal and to send him back, and whoever was able to help was given a small handful of gold.

"Of course, everyone went looking for the remaining Prince, if not for the royalties' sake, then for the money. But the hour was late; Jellal returned barely in time to hear his father's last words. And so, Jellal - who had absolutely no knowledge or care for the position of King - came to rule. Because he only cared for what he want, the council went half-crooked and did as they like to the country's affairs.

"To this day, the country is still managed like that. But I want to change it; not only the ways of the country, but also the King himself. I know Jellal's caring side, and I refuse to believe it's just gone and disappeared. That's why I'll stand by him, until I find a way to change him back."

Silence filled the room as Gray noted the determination in Erza's brown eyes. He really didn't know how to reply to Erza's goal. Juvia, though, knew exactly what to say.

"Juvia thinks that's a really great ambition! To think that you care for him that much, Juvia's ashamed she called him the Son of Evil. Juvia approves of your dream and Juvia will support you in anyway she can!" Juvia's words were not mocking nor mean, and Gray knew that Juvia meant it from the bottom of her heart.

He smiled at his childhood friend, "I don't know how to help if we're a country away, but if you ever need us, just send for us."

"Thank you so much," was Erza's reply. "And I do have a small request for the moment. I'm supposed to stay at this hotel-" Erza gave Gray her brochure of the said hotel, "but I've long forgotten where everything in this city is."

"Let Juvia help!" Juvia suggested brightly, and Erza grinned in thanks.

Gray also smiled, glad that his girlfriend and childhood friend got along. "On the way, let us show you some of the better changes of the Ice capital city.

"Sure!" Erza replied, but not before pulling Gray and Juvia into a long hug. She felt as if a huge burden was lifted from her shoulders, since now her stay at Kingdom of Ice wouldn't be filled only with long boring negotiations.

By the time they left the restaurant, nightfall had arrived. Erza gasped as she looked around the street; lanterns of different shape, brightness and sizes were hung all over the place, lighting up the place to be brighter than day.

"Wow!" Erza said.

"Yeah, the lanterns you don't really notice when you first come, which is why when night arrives, it gives you such an awe. Ice city is all about art and appearance, ever since the new government took over. I don't mind it much, it's beautiful, and it keeps me busy," Gray commented.

"Keeps you busy?" Erza repeated in confusion.

Juvia grinned and lead her to a grass park nearby. A great patch of lay in the centre, but to Erza's surprise, they were surrounded by a thin ice layer.

"It works like a greenhouse, and since ice isn't expensive, it's convenient. My job in summer times is to keep the ice the same temperature and make sure it doesn't melt. And if it does, I'm supposed to replace the whole thing with a whole new layer. In winter, fire wizards come and maintain the temperature so the flowers doesn't get too cold. Also, to create the ice in the first place is the collaboration of ice and fire wizards to make sure the ice can withstand too much warmth or other dangerous objects like rocks."

Erza nodded after Gray's explanation. "I think I understand."

"And they pay Gray-sama really good as well!" Juvia put in.

"I guess," Gray scratched his head. "But the job isn't fun on summer days, so I've got myself a job as an attendant in one of the bars. Though, secretly, my main job is to stop fights and brawls in the bar."

"I see you're not doing bad," Erza said. "Compared to your life in the streets."

"Not bad at all," Gray agreed, taking the two girls in his arms and walking them towards his favourite sweet shop. "Now, the next place I want to show you has the most delicious apple pie..."

"But we just had dinner!" Erza said, confused.

"It won't matter," Juvia replied. "The food there is too delicious to refuse, no matter when your last meal was."

"If you say so," Erza said with a raised eyebrow.

"Enjoy yourself, Erza," Gray told her. "I want to make it you'll want to come back to Ice before you even arrive back at your palace. It's nice to see you, you know."

Gray saw Juvia's suspicious glance and squeezed her hand, reassuring his loyalty in their romantic relationship.

"Good luck trying, but it's the negotiations that will probably decide. I've no wish to return a country that might not welcome me after I make a fool of myself while discussing stuff."

The other two laughed. "As if you would ever be able to make a fool of yourself," Gray said.

Erza raised an eyebrow, and retorted with, "Well, I see you're an expert at that. How is it possible your clothes are off while one of your hands is occupied with Juvia's?"

Gray shrieked and blushed red with crimson, mentally scolding himself to get rid of his terrible habit. But there was also a part of him that felt warm and happy. Erza was back, even if only for a while, and now he's going to have the time of his life with both his girlfriend and childhood friend. Damn, he must be the luckiest guy on Fiore.

* * *

_**A/N:**__ You can't expect me to talk about what they were negotiating about. I really don't know ._. Maybe I might allude to it in future chapters, but for now... I have no plans on writing about the negotiations. Plus, they would be boring, and it'd be pointless paragraphs about how Erza's half falling asleep as the Ice's elders talked to her about affairs of Heaven._

_I'm also not sure of whether I like Juvia's characteristics. After this chapter, if Gray and Juvia were cops, I think Juvia would definitely be the bad cop :/ and I'm not sure I intended her to be like that. Anyway, I'm just rambling now. It's not your job to know my worries, just enjoy the story (I hope you did) and wait (patiently) for the next chapter! Though a review might be nice ;)_


	7. Six

**Six**

When Erza returned into the capital city of Heaven, there was a happy grin plastered on her face as she reminisced the happy times with Gray and his girlfriend. The past two weeks had watched as she revisited her favourite childhood places and her childhood home in the dumps with Gray.

But when she entered the main streets, a bad feeling dawned on her. A chill crawled down her spine as she realised the mood was sour in a supposedly-all-time-happy place. Unsure of what to do, she decided to first visit the Strauss Bakery - maybe Mirajane or Natsu would inform her of the latest happenings.

A smile returned to her face as she thought of what a surprise it would be. Sure, Erza still kept in contact with the Strauss household, but it was only in special occasions when the family would come visit her.

Arriving at outside the bakery, she hopped down and smoothened her rustled clothes. Royal garments were good looking, but an overnight sleep in it was not only uncomfortable, but also creases it greatly.

She entered the shop, but the sight surprised her. She had never in her life seen so much customers in the bakery before, and the shop sure was packed. But what surprised her more was the reaction of the customers to her entry; some stared, some averted their gaze, and some brave ones even bumped her shoulder harshly as she walked past.

No, this wasn't the friendly atmosphere she was used to at all. In fact, even the regulars who had known her from her younger days didn't greet her meet her eye.

Slow and warily, she walked towards the counter, expecting Lisanna's excited laughter and Natsu's happy grin, but of course, that wasn't there.

Natsu glanced at her once in a grim expression, and turned his head to ignore her. Erza tried to walk towards him, but the crowd at the counter pushed her away. She saw Mirajane near the side of the bakery, and Erza slowly approached her.

"Mirajane...hi," Erza found herself loss for words after the greeting she received from Natsu.

It was a person Erza had never met who replied, "Get out of here, you wench! There's nothing you'd want here!"

Erza turned only to receive a loaf of bread in her face. She expected Mirajane to cry out not to waste bread, but no reply came. Erza attempted to sit down next to Mirajane, but someone pushed her away and sat there instead.

"What's going on, Mirajane?" Erza asked, her patience tiring and her bad feeling growing.

"None of your business," A man cried. "We don't need no more you bought soldiers prying our doorsteps."

"Enough!" Mirajane finally ordered in a quiet, but firm voice. "Erza, it'd do you no good to stay where you're not welcome. You haven't been to the Executioner's Valley yet, have you?"

Mirajane had named the place where executions of criminals were held. Erza had hated that place, but she had often been there as the king's bodyguard, since Jellal was expected to be present in every single beheading that he orders. But for two weeks, Erza was free from that scene since she was away and she didn't miss it one bit, so why would they expect her to go see there?

But if going there would help explain the insults, then Erza would comply. With a nod to Mirajane and Natsu, she exited the bakery. As she passed the door, she found herself in front of Elfman; Mirajane's younger brother.

Erza was about to say hi when she saw Elfman's fists clench. That was when she remembered what Mirajane had said. Mirajane had indirectly told Erza that she was no longer welcome at the Strauss Bakery, and the thought that Elfman might turn on Erza frightened her. It wasn't that Elfman was stronger than Erza, but simply that Erza didn't want to end up fighting any of them.

Erza rushed into the wagon and directed the man to take her to the Valley. It wasn't really a valley, as it was an outdoor stage with a large clearing before it. In the centre of it all was a few large seats, for the King and other Nobility who decided to watch. In front of the stage was a tall table, where the previously beheaded victims would find their head there, preserved by magic.

Many heads Erza recognised, as they were servants or citizens who frequented the castle and finally struck a nerve in Jellal. She wasn't sure what she was looking for as she scanned the deserted stage, until she spotted it.

Erza had always tried to calm Jellal's temper whenever he got mad, but once she was gone, no one had decided to step in to take her spot. The result was 3 new heads in the time she was gone, the newest one being of a young woman a few years younger than Erza.

Erza recognised her much too well, her silver hair trimmed short was dirty, and her normally bright face was grey and depressing. Her happiness in her blue eyes were hidden by her closed eyelids and her usually smiling face was replaced with a frown.

Erza's knees gave in and she found herself on her knees as she finally took in what has happened. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to control her feelings, but as soon as her eyes opened, the tears raced down her cheeks.

Lisanna and her family had rescued her, and she was forever in her debt, but now she had betrayed them. No one said a word of their dislike of Erza becoming so close to the tyrannical King and had let Erza do what she believed to be the best. When Erza was down and upset, Lisanna, Natsu, Mirajane and Elfman had always been the first to see how she was, no matter how busy they were.

Even when Erza didn't frequent the village as often anymore, they had still made sure to visit her often enough, and they always had stories to share and things to entertain Erza with. Erza owed them so much, but Erza had not only failed to repay them, but also did nothing as her friend died in the hands of the one she served.

For years, Erza had tried to strengthen her heart, but today, all those hard work collapsed into a heap just like that. But Erza didn't care, she just wanted Lisanna back; she just wanted to turn back time; she wanted to be with Lisanna again; and she wanted to spend much more time with all of the Strauss family.

Now she understood the event back at the bakery. There was no reason for the Strauss to forgive her for letting Lisanna die, nor was their any reason the Strauss should like any subject who served the King. Their customers were their friends who were their to give their condolences, and the fact that she went to the bakery with her royal uniform was just plain rude.

Erza didn't know how long she had knelt there, just letting the tears stream out of the her face as she tried to even her breath. Crying didn't do anyone any good, but there were times when it just couldn't be controlled.

Slowly, she stood back up once more. She felt the cramps on her legs, but she ignored it as she limped back into the wagon. It had surprised her a little that the driver still waited for her, but she was not in the mood to comment. With a mental note to tip him double the amount of the pay, she requested to be driven back into the castle.

As the wagon slowly made its way to its destination, Erza stayed silent the whole way, enduring every bump on the road without a single comment. If the driver saw Erza's red puffy eyes, or the leaked tears, he didn't comment or make note of it. He had sensed her mood and knew better than to talk to her.

...

Perhaps Jellal had guessed Erza would not be in the happiest mood when she slammed open the throne hall's doors. He quickly sent his subjects outside, leaving the room empty with just the two of them alone.

"Jellal!" Erza screeched as soon as the door closed. It had taken a hell of an effort just to control her temper until that moment. "You knew Lisanna was my friend. You knew her yourself! And you just off and killed her!?"

Jellal's indifferent tone was fuel to Erza's anger. "She was in my way, so I cleared my path."

"…" Erza closed her eyes, knowing she was already crossing the line by yelling at her king. More quietly, she said, "Lisanna was a bright girl, you needed have only spoken with her to know that. And a few words was all that would be necessary for her to leave you alone."

"If it was so simple, then she would never have gotten in my way to begin with," Jellal retorted. "You know what she was doing? She was trespassing without permission. She stormed the palace quarters, the throne hall, and then talked to me in an unmannerly tone in public!"

"So you killed her!? For something that could have been forgotten with a simple apology?!" Erza cried, shocked. Jellal was probably the least mannerly person she knew, so who was he to go judging other people about that?!

"Listen to me, Erza, she was one hell of an annoying wench. I usually wouldn't even bother to sully my guillotine blade with bad blood like hers, but an example had to be made. She infiltrated my headquarters for no reason other than searching for a person. She accused me of kidnapping and stormed passed my guards to frighten my servants. Who does she think she is to go rampaging in my castle!? If I pardoned her, don't you think that's like saying, 'come and wreck chaos in my castle and you won't get anything more than a scolding'!?"

Jellal ranted on and on, but Erza's heart was no longer in the argument. She gradually began to realise why this had happened. What exactly had caused Lisanna's death. Jellal may have been careful to leave out names, but Erza understood. Sure, it was Jellal's command that ended her life, but if it weren't for her hasty leave two weeks earlier… If she didn't leave the country without saying goodbye to Lisanna then the younger girl would never have upset Jellal.

Lisanna had believed that Jellal had done something terrible to Erza, because she was nowhere to be seen. Lisanna had been killed because she thought Erza was in trouble and needed her help. Lisanna had died because of Erza.

A silence reigned the room as Erza's mind raced with thoughts, and tears fought to escape her eyes. She looked up at Jellal, unintentionally meeting his hazel-brown eyes, and immediately looked down at the floor instead.

When she raised her head, it was because the door had opened to admit a young blonde maidservant. She curtsied low to the king, and walked quickly up the dais where Erza stood in front of the seated king on his throne. Erza didn't recognise her, so she was left to assume the maidservant was one of the new arrivals that came in the past week.

"Your majesty, Guardswoman, I have been told to be the chaperone and witness the conversation until the two of you are no longer alone together in a room," she said politely.

"Hmph, let me nullify that order," Jellal said with a frown.

"With all due respect, majesty, I see why you might dislike this arrangement, but should you choose to nullify this order, rumours will spread. Ideas about whether you and Guardswoman Erza might… attempt to be more than acquaintances."

Jellal raised an eyebrow, but the maid did not budge. Erza sighed, unsure whether the maid was just recklessly stubborn, or she had measured Jellal enough to know just how far she could push it.

While she would have liked to find out the maid's name, as it was rare to find other servants who were so daring against their masters, but that would have to wait. She was sick of all this drama, and she needed time to think and time to mourn.

"There's no need," Erza said bluntly. "I'm leaving now, anyway. I shall return to duty soon enough, until then, you'll find me at my quarters."

She turned to leave, not waiting for either the King's or the maidservant's reply. Nothing mattered anymore, Erza's world was shattered completely. Who knew just two weeks could turn her life upside down so badly?

When Erza reached her quarters, she locked the door and climbed onto her bed. Curling up in a ball, she didn't care that she was still in her outdoor clothes or that she hasn't even had dinner yet. She just quietly endured the pain in her chest as she let her tears flow out and cried herself to sleep.

* * *

_**A/N**: I feel so depressed because I failed to write angst. Anyway, it took me quite a while to think up of a way to present this chapter. I knew it had to be now that Lisanna would die, when Erza didn't have the power to stop Jellal. Anyway, I wonder who that blonde maidservant is… *winkwink*. Anyway, I'm kinda glad Lisanna's death is over and done with, now I can worry about other things… like what the hell is going to happen in the next chapter!? And what am I going to write about?!_

_Also, for those familiar with the Closure of Yellow or Aku no Musume light novels, Lisanna is Leonhart/Leon. Unfortunately, I couldn't get Erza(Allen/Len) to kill Lisanna, but it really doesn't make sense that Erza would kill her friends for Jellal..._

_Anyway… It has been brought to my attention that Jerza is quite in demand for my story. Just a warning, if you're wanting all these fluffy scenes, it might be better to read another story. I have a few good Jerza scenes in my mind in the future chapters, but at the moment with where the plot is taking me, it's kinda impossible to write fluff with Jellal killing of all these people. So the best thing to Jerza scenes might be the Jellal and Erza scenes like the one in this chapter, where they're mainly disputing._

_Thanks for reading, and please review if you liked it!  
__-Gigglepud_


	8. Seven

_**A/N:** You can see I've deleted all chapter titles and left it with just the number. That's because my chapter title names are becoming more and more ridiculous, so I'm getting rid of it once and for all :P_

_**Disclaimer:** I need to get used to doing this or something. Plus, if I don't do it, the top of the page looks bare because it just goes straight into the story :P_  
_Fairy Tail © Hiro Mashima_

* * *

**Seven**

When Jellal knocked on Erza's door, silence answered him. It had already been a week since Erza had returned, and he figured it was time to check on her.

After the outburst last week, Jellal had not seen Erza since. He knew from his servants that she was attending the meals at the mess hall, but she was never where he was. He sighed, as he tried to knock the door again - how big a grudge can Erza get for over a useless commoner? Though a bigger question in his head was why he even cares.

Erza was just a knight from the commoner class chosen for her looks, but Jellal had grown to get used to her. As much as he refused to admit it, he had missed her presence beside him.

When silence once again greeted him after his knocks, impatience spread inside him. Looking towards both sides, he noticed that the corridor was deserted, and hesitantly he raised his hand to the door knob. When he turned the knob, it opened without any resistance, revealing Erza's chambers messed from the clothing of what he assumed was in Erza's luggage. Erza herself was lying peacefully in her own bed.

He felt his face heat up as he noticed certain underclothes that lay in the corner of the room, but shook his head strongly when he realised he was heading towards that direction. He focused himself on his sleeping knight, and headed towards her. When he crouched in front of her, his face level with hers, he noticed pale marks on her face that resembled the path of her tears. He wanted to reach out and wipe her face, but stopped himself with the reminder that Kings don't do that to servants.

When Erza stirred, he leapt backwards in surprise, calming only when Erza turned over and kept sleeping. He let out a quiet sigh and looked around the room once more. The desk next to him held a few photos, and having nothing else better to do, he looked at them.

There were four photo frames on the desk, he recognised her as a young teen in the half fallen photo frame. With her was three siblings; the oldest around her age, and the youngest was about three or four years younger give or take. A frown surfaced on Jellal's face when he recognised the youngest to be the girl he had executed just a week and a half ago.

He sighed again, glaring at the girl with dislike. It was all her fault, wasn't it?! If she never existed, Erza wouldn't be so mad at him. If she never existed, he never would have needed to kill her. After all, if she hadn't kept spending time with Erza, he would never have come to hate her so much.

Jellal had refused to accept the fact that Erza spent many of her free time with the younger girl, but that was the truth. He didn't understand why Erza's opinion of him and how high he was on her list was important to him, but he knew that he had always subconsciously made himself look good in front of her.

Was it just to shut her annoying lectures up? He wondered as he picked up the second photo. He felt confused and frustrated. Why did he want Erza by his side so much? She was just a worthless knight picked from the slums, he could probably find someone better than her easily. He had always wondered if the attractive force he felt towards Erza was normal, but whenever he realised he was thinking such thoughts, he would find something else to distract him from the topic.

This time, Jellal chose to focus on the second photo to take his mind of the redhead, but it didn't help when he spotted Erza in her late teens. By then, her chest had grown fully, and her hips were visible in the dark purple dress she wore. Her low cut dress exposed her cleavage, and Jellal blushed crimson when he noticed where he was looking at. Though when he looked at her face, he instantly forgot about her body shape, as her elegant face and long flowing scarlet hair captured his attention.

Jellal frowned when he realised he has no memory of Erza wearing that dress in front of him - or any dresses, as a matter of fact. Erza had always worn either her royal garments, or her breastplate and blue skirt. Though Jellal was unsure why, he felt himself burning with anger and frustration at the fact that he did not know Erza well at all.

He placed the photo back on the table, and took hold of the third photo. It was a picture of her sixteenth birthday, spent with her foster family. This time, a pink haired youth joined the white hair siblings, and Jellal recognised him to be the brat that had once protested against his ways of ruling. He narrowed his eyes with dislike and glared at the brat. More than once, Jellal had wanted to know just how close that brat was to Erza, but now that Jellal thought about it, what he wants to know more than that was why he even cared about Erza's relationships. She was just a simple knight in his service; nothing more… right?

Knowing each picture was more and more upsetting to his mood, Jellal was reluctant to pick up the fourth photo frame, but it was this frame he had been most interested to see. Every time he was in the room, this photo was face down, the contents hidden. More than once Jellal had the urge to grab it out of curiosity, just to see what it was a photo of.

Now that Jellal thought about it, it was probably just another photo of Erza with her foster siblings, but this might be Jellal's one and only chance of solving this mystery. With a mischievous glint in his eyes, he picked up the wooden photo frame to realise it was much smoother and cleaner than the rest, as if the contents had meant something more than the other three photos.

When his eyes focused on the actual photo, he mouth let out a small gasp as his eyes widened in surprise. This wasn't a photo of Erza; nor anyone that he would have expected. This was the photo of a small boy with blue hair and a cheerful grin. His brown eyes were sparkling with mischief, but there were kindness in them. The red scar down the side of his face meant there was no mistake - it was Jellal himself.

Except this photo was unlike the other photos Jellal have at his gallery and photo books. He judged himself to be around eleven years old, comparing with the other photos that looked similar to him. But this picture was different, he was not clad in rich royal garments like other pictures, but in commoner rags. He frowned, why does Erza have a photo of him of that age? And why is he wearing such horrible and pathetic clothing? Jellal didn't even remember when he had worn such disgraceful clothes, but then and again, a lot of his memories around the age of nine to eleven were blurry.

Suddenly, a migraine attacked him as his eyes saw white. Then abrupt flashes of random pictures entered his minds, but he had no idea what it meant. The pictures were of a young girl, but the images left too quickly for him to recognise her. The only thing that caught his eye was her shoulder length scarlet hair. His forehead creased as he felt as if he should know her, but yet he couldn't remember.

Erza's bed creaked, and Jellal turned to see a confused and surprised Erza sitting up to stare at him. Her eyes widened and her face spelt shock when she noticed the picture Jellal was still holding. She opened her mouth to say something, but Jellal bolted out the door before any sound came out.

Jellal left the servants dorm area at a half-jog, and only after he returned to his study room did he stop to catch his breath. Only after he closed the door behind him did he notice he was not alone. He glared at the silent maidservant who stood at in the shadows with a stoic expressionless face. He narrowed his eyes, realising her expression, or lack of, was just like Erza's when she had first became his bodyguard. He shook his head; why must everything he think of be related to Erza?!

Jellal stayed standing in front of the door as the maid curtsied low. He waited until she was upright again before he opened his mouth.

"What do you think you're doing here? My private rooms can only be entered if I am there, and obviously enough, you were here before I was," Jellal snapped.

The maidservant's patient, but teasing, smile did not reach her eyes. "Your majesty, as your personal maidservant, I have the right - just like your bodyguard - to enter wherever. And plenty of times, your bodyguard has entered without your knowing."

"That's different. She's my advisor as well," Jellal retorted, grabbing the seat behind his desk.

"Not so. It was only three weeks ago that you selected her to be your advisor. She has left town ever since, returning only a week ago to have a small agreement with you. She has not been on duty since." the maid's voice was balanced and calm, with no emotion breaking through from her tone.

Jellal grimaced. 'Disagreement' was too much of an understatement. "How do you know this much about her?"

"I thought you knew? I was sent by the higher ups - whom I will not name - to watch you and to find out whether or not there is a secret affair between you and your bodyguard."

Jellal raised an eyebrow at the frankness. "Hmph, what's your name, anyway?"

"Lucy," was the matter-of-fact reply. "Lucy Hear-"

"Okay. Cool, I get it," interrupted Jellal. After a moment of thought, he sighed. "I have the power to get rid of you any time; whether it's firing you or executing you." He observed Lucy's reaction to that - she had none. "But since I feel like you're the type of frank person who would warn me when you tattle something about us to the council, and I'll need to know what's being said. Can I trust you on that?"

There was a moment of thought. "The higher ups are paying me an extra wage for my information," she began slowly.

"Fine. Whatever they pay you, I'll pay extra," Jellal snapped. Now leave me alone for a second.

With a nod, Lucy stepped out of the study, a grin spreading on her face. It was a sly smile, but a real genuine one nonetheless. The first real one she's had since she's entered the castle.

"It's done, Natsu. The seeds have been sowed and I've settled well," she murmured quietly, talking more to herself than her friend and leader who was far from hearing distance.

...

Erza sat up quietly on her bed, having not moved an inch since watching Jellal flee the room. Her thoughts were in too much of a mess for her to worry about moving around her body.

What was Jellal doing in her room in her first place? It seemed like too far away from his quarters for him to accidentally stumble upon. She had made sure to avoid him all week, not because she wanted to worry him, but because she needed time to think. But had he worried for her and decided to pay her a visit?

Well, for one thing, it seemed like he wasn't angry with her, or he would have woken her up. So how long was he there for? It must have been a while, for him to be bored enough to look through her stuff. Or did he just let his curiosity get the better of him?

She sighed, she had made sure to always put the photo face down when he was coming in; it was much too strange for a subordinate to have a photo of her master next to photos of her beloved family members.

She slowly left her bed and went to the photos. She carefully picked up the photo of Jellal, the only one she had of him. She put it back carefully onto the table, but this time, she put it upright so the photo was no longer covered. She then attempted to arrange the four photos on the table, but after catching sight of Lisanna, she felt her eyes water again.

Okay, Erza, get your thoughts away from that, Erza thought to herself as she shook her head. But then the next image to pop in her mind was a certain blue haired King. She sighed bitterly, sometimes, she felt as if he was an absolute jerk whom she could hate with all her heart, but yet she still longed for his love, and had given him her whole complete heart.

But what about Jellal? Erza wondered, not for the first time, what Jellal felt about her. Obviously she didn't matter enough, if he could so easily execute her best friend, but yet didn't he show he cared about her opinions in council meetings?

Erza sighed, then it must be simply her logical and problem solving skills. She was a fool to believe she had a chance. Jellal only wanted Erza to be his advisor to ease his problems and help him find solutions. He just wanted less work, not to get closer to Erza. In the end, was she still just his tool?

But, she decided, even if she was just a tool, at least she had gotten to be with Jellal. And with her as advisor, it would certainly help the kingdom fare better, right? She took a deep breath, new determination in her eyes as she took out her royal uniform.

There was nothing she could do about Lisanna, and crying over her won't bring her back. If Erza was to give up now, it meant Lisanna had died because of a dream Erza gave up on. No, Erza will not give up. She came to the palace to change Jellal, and she'll complete her mission. If not for herself or Lisanna, then for all the lives that she could save by stopping Jellal's executions.

When Erza opened the door, a small grin appeared on her face. Sure, Erza's relationship with Jellal was not at it's best, but Jellal had come for her. She'll fix their relationship, and she'll fix him. This was only the start of all the troubles that was to come, but she'll overcome them all!

Too deep in thought, she did not notice the blonde maidservant walk past her towards the city gate. Too deep in thought, she had missed her chance to talk to the girl who might one day be one of Erza and Jellal's worst enemies.

* * *

_**A/N**: New motivation (from I don't know what =="), but also a new threat :O Now all three rebel leaders from the prologue have been introduced, so it's time for... their POV! :D (I guess that's not a good thing since we're all wanting more Jerza rather than the plot ;D )_

_Anyway, points to JH for giving me ideas for this chapter's contents, and please reviewed (and follow + fav) if you liked it! Constructive Criticism welcomed and appreciated~_

_Also, I might focus on my other WIP non-published ShoukoXYuuji Fic, so... maybe no update on this for a while...? ^^" Don't worry. I ain't abandoning this fic. Not ever :D I'm gonna see it through to the end. Plus, whenever i suggest I won't upate for a while, I always end up upating it sooner than normal, remember? ;)_


	9. Eight

**A/N:** _Sorry I took so long, I really have no excuse for it, but seriously, this chapter became so boring to write (so it'll probably be really boring to read as well, sorry ^^") _

**_Disclaimer: _**_Fairy Tail (c) Hiro Mashima_

* * *

**Eight**

Lucy strode down the sidewalk, a bounce accompanying her steps. She had been wary throughout Palace Way in the main street, but after entering familiar territory, she knew she was safe to relax. She trusted the lookout on duty today; Cana may be the resident drunk in her circle of friends, but when she was on duty, she took her tasks seriously. Walking past a small time cafe, she spotted her said friend sitting at a table by the window with another member of their circle. Lucy smiled with reassurance, they were strong women who were able to look after themselves well, and would pick up any suspicious palace guards should they venture too close to their territory.

Lucy smiled wryly at herself and shook her head; in her mind, everything was too much like a game. A circle of friends; territories; look outs; it was as if they were playing a large scale spy game. But this was much more serious than what anyone else could imagine. For a long time, Lucy and the others had been lurking in the shadows, waiting for a window of opportunity. For the majority of their waking hour, they had discussed plans, tried to recruit more members, and shared their common dislike for the king. After all, they were a rebellion against the King.

The rebellion had only one element stopping them from taking true and proper action, and that was a young teenager named Lisanna. Though it was her best friend, Natsu, that started the rebellion in the first place, Lisanna had urged and insisted they attempt to accept the king, but then one day, for no proper reason, the king had executed her in front of everyone.

Only a few days later, Natsu had brought Lisanna's older sister into the team; and proper action was started. Lucy volunteered to spy in the castle, and with luck, landed the position of Jellal's personal maidservant. The Kingdom of Heaven's council of advisors were apparently upset by Jellal's inclusion of his Knight, and had requested Lucy to ensure that the King did not have an affair with the redhead. With that excuse, Lucy was able to request information that she might not have been able to get if she was a simple servant.

She grinned as she entered the Strauss Bakery's alleyway, counting her steps until she reached a certain distance, and tapped around a few times. Shortly afterwards, an illusion spell evaporated to reveal a trapdoor leading Lucy to the underground basement of the Strauss Bakery. When Mirajane joined, she had offered for these grounds to be their headquarters, and everyone else were quick to accept.

She entered quietly, noticing a few shouts across the room.

"I said it before and I will say it a million times more if you refuse to listen," it was Natsu's voice. "Erza is on OUR side. We only need to tell her, and she'll join us!"

"You can't tell her," was the curt reply. "It was obvious which side she chose when she stormed smugly into your bakery in royal garments!"

"… She probably didn't know, or else she wouldn't have claimed to be so confused," defended Natsu.

"Then what was she doing there? If it was for a visit, why royal garments?" Lucy rounded the corner to see the speaker being Freed.

When they saw her arrival, Natsu welcomed her with a grin. "Lucy! What's up?"

Lucy was quick to explain her progress so far to her Leader. Her face darkened when she added, "I'm afraid I have to agree with Freed, though not his reasons. It's true Erza was not aware of Lisanna's death, but their relationship is complicated, but strong. I can't say for sure that she will choose us over Jellal. You did say she self-volunteered to enter Jellal's service."

Natsu pouded, but nodded in agreement. "Anyway, it's time to assign the squads and leaders and get our group going. We've gathered members, but we don't even have a proper name."

"Natsu, the meeting prep's ready, are you coming or not?" Mirajane poked her head from the door, a sweet smile planted on her face, showing no sign of sorrow for her loss just two weeks ago. "Is that you, Lucy? Welcome back! And if you're not in a rush, join us, will you?"

Lucy nodded, not missing the blush that crept upon Freed's face as his eyes averted from Mirajane. She grinned inwardly, glad that Mirajane would be able to find something, or in this case, someone, to distract her from her loss.

Mirajane and Freed had a complicated beginning, when Freed and his close circle of friends were against Lisanna's beliefs of waiting before proper action, and decided to take out their restlessness on Lisanna. Naturally, Mirajane had butted in, and it wasn't hard to guess who was the winner, though despite their bad beginning, Mirajane and Freed had gotten on quite well.

Deciding that Mirajane would be much better at matchmaking and would know better than her regarding romance, Lucy took her mind off the two possibily-lovebirds and followed Mirajane and Natsu inside.

Lucy had only been inside the meeting room once, and it was a simple room made with a table and some chairs. It was the only room aside from the big space of the basement, originally used to store the more delicate or special things. Even now, there were boxes at the walls, but Lucy chose not to worry about that just yet.

As Lucy sat down, she glanced at the faces of the seated members; she recognised quite a few of the members whom she assumed were the higher ups and leaders of the organisation.

At the head of the table, sat Natsu, his eyes brimming with passion, not even looking at the files and documents placed in front of him. One one side next to him sat a blonde young man with cold and distant eyes. His expression could almost be described as apathetic as he chilled while waiting for the meeting to begin. Lucy knew him to be Laxus; someone powerful and respected, but Lucy didn't know him enough to comment for herself.

On the other side of Natsu sat Mirajane; a new member initiated into the rebellion, but one known to the rebels from her contributions as a bystander. Ever since the incident with Freed and Lisanna, she had often popped by during meet ups to offer bread and buns for the rebels, contributing ideas and simply being a great friend. When she joined the lines and even provided a base, she found herself occupying a seat during meetings before she even learnt the names of all the leaders.

Next to Laxus sat the two men Macao and Wakaba; two middle aged men who didn't have anything better to do, and on the other side of Mirajane was Elfman. Elfman was Mirajane's brother, but Lucy had never actually talked to Elfman before. She took a seat next to him, the seat being the only one left unoccupied.

"Now that everyone's here, I guess we can being," Mirajane announced. Although Natsu was the leader, even a three year old could tell he would not be of help in the planning and the strategies. "The first point, something which should have been decided way before, should be the name of our rebellion. Does anyone have any idea?"

"Dragons!" Natsu suggested with a cry.

"The man amongst men organisation!" Retorted Elfman.

"Well… I guess it's a start," Mirajane said optimistically.

"Well, how about 'The Rebels'? Suggested Wakaba.

Macao's shake of his head was the reply. "That's what we've been calling ourselves, but it doesn't seem official or serious enough."

Lucy stayed quiet as she observed the suggestions get wilder and more off topic, unsure of how to contribute. She figured unless she had a good idea, she figured there was no point in interrupting them.

"Leprechauns! I don't even know what it means, but it sounds cool," grinned Natsu.

"Then it might as well be unicorns, because unicorns are awesome," grumbled Macao.

"Enough, don't we have a proper good idea for once?" Mirajane cried in protest.

"Then I suggest 'Fairy'," Laxus said quietly, but with a serious tone.

"Laxus… be serious for once, please?" Mirajane sighed.

"No, I'm as serious as can be," Laxus insisted. "Fairies are light hearted and generous, they represent fairness and justice. They are always viewed to be on the good side, and never the bad, and wherever they go, grace accompanies them."

Lucy stared at the older man, awed by his poetic words.

Laxus continued, "Also, Fairy can be an acronym for 'Fighting Against Inhumane Royalties Youngsters."

"huh?" Natsu said, dumbfounded. "What does the youngsters part mean?"

"Well, I struggled," admitted Laxus. "I didn't know what to put for Y, and since we're all youngsters-" he looked at Macao and Wakaba, "or at least, young enough, I figured it might fit."

"I like it! It reminds me of the book 'Fairy Tail'," Lucy found herself at the centre of everyone's attention, and blushed slightly. "Well, it's a famous book by a really brilliant man called 'Makarov', who wrote of adventures of a wizards guild named Fairy Tail. They went on adventures while representing righteousness and defeated evil."

Lucy noticed Laxus' strange gazed, and looked away until he said quietly, "I know of that book. It's written by my grandfather."

Lucy stared at the older man once more, newfound respect for not only him, but his entire family. "That is so amazing! You're actually related to Makarov?!"

"I guess," Laxus replied, his bored tone hinted for her to drop the topic. "Anyway, so how's the name FAIRY? I for one support this name."

One by one, heads nodded in agreement and finally, a group name was named for the rebellion. Mirajane gathered her documents and declared that next was assigning proper positions and squads.

"That's simple enough as long as we're talking with actual plans to charge into the castle," Laxus commented. "It's going to plenty different to a group of friends with nothing better to do than to daydream about the downfall of the kingdom."

"Hey!" Natsu cried with a frown. "I was serious when I started the rebellion and gathered everyone. There just wasn't an opportunity yet!"

"Which is why you didn't even name your rebellion until today?" Laxus retorted.

"Enough guys!" Mirajane demanded. "We'll have three different forces, how's that. An attack, a support and an infiltration force."

"I think I understand what you mean, Mira-san," Lucy encouraged. "So, one to attack head on, and one to attack depending on the reaction of the peoples and the palace. And the third will be people within the castle who can attack the core officials while everyone's distracted."

"But do we even have enough people?" Macao questioned with a frown. "We only have 20 or so people, let alone make 3 teams with them."

"Let us stir up the people. They may not want to actively participate in the rebellion, but if they knew we were aiming to end the reign of the Son of Evil, then surely, they'd support in a riot or something," Natsu sugested.

"Mira-nee and I have enough connections with the people, as everyone who can afford food will come to our store. We can slip a message or something during their visits," added Elfman, receiving a grin from Mirajane.

A few more discussions decided that Natsu and Laxus would each lead a unit of attack force, Mirajane would lead their support team, and Macao would lead the infiltration team, taking a small group of FAIRYs up to the castle as servants or whatnot on the day.

When the meeting concluded, Natsu rushed out with Mirajane and Elfman following closed behind. Lucy decided to keep a polite conversation with Wakaba as they walked out together. When they rounded the corner, Lucy found her shoelace loose and sent Wakaba ahead.

When she was ready to walk again, she heard voices from the meeting room, and curiosity forced her to stay.

"Macao, why did you join this rebellion? It's just some teens at the rebellious stage playing around," Laxus questioned quietly.

"I would never be able to face my wife and child if I had forgone a chance to better society," Macao replied gravely. "And you? You have no reason to do this, especially if you don't even believe it's serious business."

Laxus sighed, "I'm here to make sure it becomes serious business."

Lucy stiffened, a little offended that Laxus would look down on the rebellion so, but at the same time, she was glad for Laxus' support.

* * *

At the same time, someplace far richer than the basement another meeting was holding place.

"Why didn't you tell Erza?" Jellal demanded with impatience. "She is my personal advisor, you can't summon me to a meeting without summoning her!"

The grim faced men around the table stared darkly at him, waiting for him to calm down.

"Because this meeting is regarding Erza," replied one of them.

"Then I'm leaving," Jellal stood up, pushing his chair over at the same time.

"Then I will take that as you will agree with the decisions we make in this meeting, since you did not say anything against it." The man - Lance Emmis - retorted stiffly. He was a middle aged man who has lost much too much hair, with deep lines framing his dark brown eyes.

He was one of the many members at the table who were unused to the change in Jellal. He had liked being able to make decisions that would "just happen" to convenience him and the other nobles, but then Jellal and that stupid wench had come and put a stop to their habits. If only the wench never butted in.

It was to his disappointment that Jellal returned to his seat with an impatient sigh.

"Well, what do you have to say about Erza?" Jellal demanded.

Emmis frowned at him, and replied, "I do not believe Erza Scarlet is fit for the role of advisor, and I'm sure all my peers would agree," Emmis waved his hand around at the general direction of the nodding heads around the table. "She has attended not one single meeting in the council as an advisor, instead, choosing to sulk and stay silent whenever in your presence. She is an unwelcoming figure to both your majesty and to the rest of court - she will do no one any good staying in the palace."

"Well, at least she doesn't sit around talking behind a peer's back," Jellal snapped.

"She's is commoner born! She's probably some bastard child from some lower class family; she's a peasant, and there's no doubt she'll be biased and prejudiced towards her type," protested another man.

"Every single decision she contributed to has had nobles coming up to us complaining," added another. "She's only causing trouble."

Suddenly, the men in the room felt the temperature decrease, and the lights dim. Nervously, hesitantly and reluctantly, they turned to the source of this change. Their king's piercing glare was dark with cruel maliciousness, his impatient expression tinted with boredom was frowning.

"Your majesty?" Emmis murmured quietly.

"I'm sick of your whining. I'm keeping Erza, that's final," Jellal snapped.

Silence followed as the other men in the room dared to do nothing but nod in agreement; all of them knew that they might never leave the room alive again should they oppose him when Jellal's in this mood.

Before another word was said, the door slammed open the let in the very person the council was discussing about. Behind Erza, was a young lad in the uniform of a messenger from Ice. He wore a blue shirt with green sleeves and a green belt, and on the left side of his shirt was stamped the royal insignia of the Kingdom of Ice, as well as a frame around it that symbolises a messenger or foot runner. He looked no older than fifteen years of age, and his tired expression revealed him to have been running.

"Message from the Princess of Time, your majesty," the boy said with a low bow - messengers were not expected to know tact, but to talk in the most straightforward manner possible. "From her hands to yours, I have not passed it to a single other person."

Jellal stared at the letter for a long time, then back at the messenger. "Why from you? Why a messenger from Ice, when she is of Time?"

The boy looked away from the king in fear, before replying, "It was not my business to know why, but she was not in the Kingdom of Time when she sent this letter, but in the Kingdom of Ice. She was in a small apartment near the outer rim of the capital city."

Erza frowned, something similar to alarm bells were ringing in her head, but nothing came to mind, so she kept listening to the conversation.

"She was at someone else's apartment?" Jellal demanded to know more. "Who was she with? What were they doing when you were summoned?!"

The messenger blushed obviously, before saying, "she was at an unknown man's house, there was nothing about him that stood out, except for the fact that he was shirtless when he first appeared."

Jellla's eyes snapped wide with anger as he tore open the envelop to read its contents. The transition was obvious as his already impatient mood grew worse and worse. The room dimmed visibly and the temperature dropped as Jellal paced around the room after reading its contents.

"Ultear…" he muttered her name quietly at first, before announcing to his audience, "that Ultear is a stupid wench. She and I are officially unengaged, and any more talk of her is taboo." He turned sharply at the messenger, and Erza couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor boy. "I want to know exactly where this letter originated from, come with me and you'll point it out to me on a detailed map."

With that, Jellal stormed out of the meeting room with the Ice messenger nervously following behind. Erza wanted to know more than ever what was in the contents of the letter, not for the sake of her curiosity or gossip, but to know that Jellal would be alright.

Her heart was sinking at its lowest as she also begun to realise what was going off in her head earlier. The man that the messenger described seemed too much like Gray, and if so, wouldn't this all be truly just a misunderstanding?

Cursing at her own ignorance, she turned to look at the other men in the room; they were all muttering something bad about the way Jellal handled the scene whilst ignoring her presence. Erza sighed, did Jellal knew even these men were talking behind his back about his terrible selfish personality?

Erza had done her job bring the messenger to Jellal, and for now, all she wanted was to return to her rooms. Everything had happened so fast, but if what Jellal said was correct, she would be right to assume that he was now single, right? A small smile showed its way into Erza's face as she realised her chances - until she remembered that at that moment, her beloved was probably figuring out a way to hunt down her childhood best friend.

Life was complicated, she concluded as she started making her way back to her rooms, completely unprepared for the events that will soon follow.


	10. Nine

**Nine**

Slowly and cautiously, Jellal sneaked across the back garden towards a window at the side of the house. He wanted to see her. He needed to see her. Stealthily, he approached and tapped the window to her room.

Jellal waited impatiently as the redhead inhabitant of the room poked her head out of the window.

"Jellal! What are you doing here?" her voice was quiet, but concerned. Her surprised face did not hide the delight of seeing him.

He sighed, unsure of how to begin. She was his only true friend in the whole eleven years of his life, and he had dreamt of being with her forever, but fat chance of that happening.

"I had a lot of fun coming to see you so often, you've become the sunlight in my rainy days - you're the most important person in my life," Jellal began.

"Jellal, what's going on?" The girl asked, her clear eyes concerned.

Taking a deep breath, Jellal quietly revealed his thoughts, "I'm going away - my family doesn't need me, and I'd much rather be useful somewhere in the world than to stay in that terrible place I've got as home. I've found myself a good teacher who promises to teach me powerful magic, and I'm going to make myself useful to this city by learning from him. But, I'm afraid this means leaving this country behind - and I'm fine with that, but I don't want to leave you!"

To his surprise, his companion smiled. "That's a good thought you have there; don't let me be the reason to keep you from that. I'll wait for you here, and I'll be willing to wait forever, until you've finished your studies."

"You would do that? For me?" Jellal asked, surprised painted all over his once sullen face.

"Of course," was the light, yet earnest, response. "We're friends, right?"

Jellal felt tears well up in his eyes, as he truly realised that for a long unknown period of time, he was to live without this person who was his everything. He could do nothing, but nod weakly in response to his friend's rhetorical question.

"Though what about your family? From the looks of it, you're sneaking away without telling them, right?" As always, she had hit the mark.

Jellal sighed, "I left a note, though I don't think they'll even notice until half a year later."

"You make them sound like villains so much," laughed his friend. "Who are they anyway? They're of the higher class, aren't they?"

Jellal widened his eyes with alarm, murmuring, "no-nothing of that kind. Just some worthless trash, really."

Erza gave a grin, "says the boy with the best clothes in town."

Jellal shook his head, before exclaiming, "Now we're going off topic! The thing is… I think I'll miss you a lot. So before we go…"

As Jellal trailed off, he hesitantly leaned forward. Shyly, he brushed his lips against hers as he embraced her.

He watched his friend - or better put, 'crush' - open her mouth, but he couldn't bare to hear what she had to say. If she agreed with his feelings, then it would be all the more painful to leave, and if she disagreed, then he could only hope it wouldn't be the end of his friendship.

Jellal sat up with a gasp as he woke from his sleep. Looking around and seeing nothing, he concluded it was still the middle of the night. He subconsciously massaged his temples as he recalled his peculiar dream. There was quite a few of these dreams ever since he returned to the castle - dreams that were so life-like and clear, almost as if it was a flashback or a movie. And once again, it featured that pretty, bright and cheerful redhead. Just who was that girl? And where was she now? Questions about her just kept invading his mind, and as he tried to brush them aside, a face would always come to his mind.

Erza Scarlet.

When choosing his knight, Erza had always stood out to him - not only because of her fighting skills and strength in her training exhibitions, but also her eye catching scarlet red hair. She had always reminded him of that mysterious girl from his dreams. But now, he wondered if that was the right thing to do. Everytime he thought of scarlet hair, it was always Erza's face, no matter what.

Jellal shook his head with a mix of disappointment and confusion, he had chosen Erza to be his knight in hopes that her hair would help remind him of what the girl from his dreams looked like, but the more he saw of Erza, the more the face of the girl became like Erza, until he could no longer tell the two of them apart.

A sudden light leaked through the bottom of the door and the solemn silence of the night was broken as creaking footsteps were heard on the wooden floor down the hall. Jellal awoke all of his senses, and his eyes were glittering with awareness and alert. His mouth gradually turned into a frown as he held his breath when the footsteps stopped right as it reached the other side of his door.

After what seemed like forever, the footsteps kept moving down the hall and further and further away from Jellal's room. As soon as he stopped hearing the footsteps he leapt off his bed to follow the night wanderer. On this part of his castle, only his chambers were found and there was no reason for anyone other than himself to be in this area.

A thief? A burglar? An assasin?

Whoever they were, they were going to get an unpleasant surprise as Jellal quietly sneaked down the corridor to follow the mysterious intruder of his chambers. Jellal was raised in this palace, and has spent his whole childhood sneaking around these corridors for entertainment and fun - he doubted there would be a single person who could best him in knowledge about the secrets of his castle.

He followed suspciously pass all the treasure rooms in this section, and realised that the intruder has not stopped for any of the gold or treasure that he kept in some of his chambers. And the question of where the intruder was going, as well as his goals, once again popped into Jellal's mind.

Fastening his pace, he found himself leaving the area of his chambers and climbing the stairs to the highest tower of the castle. He frowned as he felt a sudden gush of wind roar past him, and then the quiet click that told him the door to the roof of the tower had just been opened and closed.

Quickening his pace to a run, he soon found himself opening and closing the same door, and of all the people he expected, it was not who he saw. Long red hair flew around, supported and made wild by the strong gushes of the night wind. The metal armour that was almost always on Jellal's advisor and knight was replaced by a pale blue long sleeve night dress. Jellal had thought himself to have been discreet, especially when he could barely hear any sound even when he opened and closed the door, but the way his knight turned around with surprise to face him showed he was not at all quiet.

"Y-y-your majesty!" The scarlet haired woman stuttered, as if she was a 5 year old caught stealing cookies from the jar.

"What are you doing here so late in the night?" Jellal demanded warily and tiredly. Now that he knew there was no intruder, he wanted nothing more than to return to his bed.

Erza Scarlet smiled a little, and turned back towards the railing which she had been leaning on just before her leige had arrived. "I noticed it by accident the first time, but this village at night is as lively as it is in the morning. It's a wonderful and beautiful site, in my humble opinion, when you view all the lights from so high up here. It helps me remember just how beautiful and serene the world can be, despite how cruel the things this world may throw at us is."

"Yes," Jellal said slowly and quietly. "Cruel things, so very cruel things."

There was a long silent pause as Erza realised her King was not likely to be thinking of peaceful and beautiful things. Not that anyone would, after receiving the news that he had gotten during that afternoon.

"For some reason, I don't feel anything at having lost a fiance," Jellal began again, joining Erza against the railing, but his gaze were not focused on the village, but empty and distant. "I always thought I loved her, but yet, I really can't care less where she is at the moment. But what I do want is revenge for the humiliation I received, and the way she could so easiliy cast aside her engagement status for some mere street boy."

Erza opened her mouth to reply some words of comfort, but Jellal cut her off before a single sound could come out. "I found out about him, you know. He's name is Gray Fullbuster, and he was an orphan living the trashy slums. He moved to the capital city of the Kingdom of Ice and makes a living from a low income job."

"So… what are your plans for, um, this Gray Fullbuster?" Erza asked timidly, worried for her childhood friend.

The reply she received was dark and without hope. "Death."

"Your Majesty…! That's-"

"Not enough, don't you think? That's why I'm going to go to the Kingdom of Ice myself to make sure I'll end him with my very own hands. I've decided, and just then too, but I do think this is a good idea. Pack your bags, and let's leave together in a week. I'll leave things for the concil to decide."

That's a terrible idea, Erza wanted to scream.

Don't do it, she wanted to cry out.

It's not what you think, Erza wanted to declare.

Gray… there's surely nothing between him and Princess Ultear! She wanted to say.

But there was nothing she could do or say before Jellal rushed out in long strides. Erza didn't even have time to process what was just said. There really was nothing for her to do other than to sink onto her knees with unhapiness and curse, "damn it", over and over again.

Life being complicated, that was truly an understatement. Even when Erza finally picked herself up reluctantly and gazed out towards the town, she found no beauty in what she saw. It was a nightmare. Her life was a nightmare. A living nightmare that she could not escape from.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry for taking so long, and when reading through previous chapters, all I can say is that if I ever finish this, I'm going to have to have to have a mass cleaning session and edit all the grammar and spelling mistakes and things like that ._.

My excuse for not updating is because I feel like I lost my confidence in writing after reading Facades (by ) and The Red Velvet Pandora Box (by MillieAshford). They're both Jerza fics and if you feel like my story is too dark or depressing for your tastes, then those two stories might be a better replacement for this.


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